Packer and setting tool



Oct. 15, 1935. W L, CHURCH PACKER AND SETTING TooL 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2, 1954 74u47, of. LA

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loci.. 15, 1935.' r W L CHURCH 2,017,434

PACKER AND` SETTING TOOL Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IACKER.l AND SETTING TOOL Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex.

Application January 2, 1934, Serial No. '104,891 11 Claims. (Cl. 166-10) l This invention relates to a packer and setting tool.

An object of the invention is to provide means for setting a liner or screen in a well beneath the' well casing, for forming a seal between the upper end of the screen or liner and the surrounding well casing and being of such construction that the string used for performing the setting operation may be readily detached and removed from the well.

` Another object of the invention is to provide in a packer and setting tool novel means for connecting the setting string to the packer support whereby said string and support will be rigidly l5y connected together to prevent the premature expansion or setting of the packer while going into the hole, said means being readily releasable from the packer support by rotation of the string whereby the string may be detached from the support and the packer set or expanded and the string withdrawn.

A further object is to provide in a device of this character, means for relieving the threads which connect the setting string to the packer support from the weight of the setting string to the end that said threads will not become stripped.

With the aboveand other objects in view the invention has particular relation to" certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation partly in section of the upper end of the packer showing the setting tool connected thereto..

Figure 2 shows a side view partly in section of the lower end of the packer showing the liner and screen beneath.

Figure 3 shows a side view partly in section of the upper end of the packer showing thesetting tool detached and in position to expand the packer.

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

l Figure 5 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 shows a side view partly in section of the complete tool. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the gures the numeral I designates a. tubular packer support mounted on which there is a surrounding expansible packer 2. The lower end of vthis packer may be sup# ported by an annular collar 3, which is secured around said support, and may be secured in place by wire wrapping 4. The upper end of the packer is secured to a coupling 5 which is slidable on the packer support. The packer may be secured to said coupling in any preferred manner as vby the wire wrapping 6. The packer 2 may be of conventional construction well known to those familiar with thisV art. The upper end of the packer support has external annular teeth 1 which may be in the form of buttress threads if 10 desired.K The coupling 5 has an internal downwardly converging seat 8 o-n which may be mounted wedge shaped slips 9 whose inner sides are toothed to engage the external teeth 'I to hold the packer expanded. Attached to the upper end 15 of the coupling 5 is an upstanding tubular setting 4 nipple I0 which may have attached to its upper end a collar I I provided with an outwardly flared seat I2. Upon downward movement of setting nipple I0 the packer 2v will be expanded to form 20 a fluid tight joint with the surrounding casing I3 in the wen. The upper end of the packer support I has internal left hand threads I4 provided to receive a ring nut I5 which has corresponding external 25 left hand threads.

There is a tubular setting string I6 which extends to the ground surface and whose lower end is slidably tted through the ring nut I5 and is secured against turning relative thereto by 30 means of the keys Il, I'I. These keys are slidable through the inside keyways I8 in said ring nut. The ring nut is retained against detachment from the lower end of the setting string by means of a retainer ring I9 which is screwed onto the lower 35 end of the setting string beneath the ring nut I5. Spaced above its lower end the setting string is provided with an enlarged head 2i) having side grooves 2| whose upper ends are widened radially. Pivotally mounted in these grooves are the dogs 40 22 with coil springs 23 seated in suitable sockets.

' in said head and pressing outwardly against the lower ends of said dogs.

There is a hood shaped housing 24 rotatably mounted on the setting string beneath said head 45 and whose lower end is adapted to rest on the upper'end of the packer support I when the lstring is connected to the packer support I.

When it is desired to seta screen or liner in a well and pack the upper end thereof, the 50 g packer and setting tool are assembled as shown in Figure 1 with nut I5 screwed into the upper endfof the packer supportl and with housing 24 resting on said packersupport and in turn supporting 20 and the stringabove. The stringw55 is thus looked against longitudinal movement relative to the packer support by ring I9 on one side and housing 24 on the other. When so assembled dogs 22 will be held retracted by the setting nipple I0 and the assembled apparatus may be lowered with the screen into the well until the screen 25 is set on the bottom of the hole. It is obvious that the threads connecting ring nut I5 to packer supporti will thus not sustain the weight of the string above but said weight will be sustained by the housing 24.

When it is desired to expand the packer the string I6 will be turned to the right. The head 20 will ride on the upper end of the housing 24 during this turning operation. As setting string I6 is turned ring nut I5 will be unscrewed out of the packer support, moving upwardly into housing 24, and when it is entirely unscrewed the setting string may be elevated until the .dogs 22 are above the upper end of the setting nipple as shown in Figure 3 when the lower ends of the dogs 22 will be -forced outwardly by the springs 23. The string I6 may then be lowered whereupon the dogs 22 will engage the seat I 2 and forcek the setting nipple IIVdownwardly to expand the packer. The slips 9 will engage the packer support I and thus hold the packer expanded. `The setting string and tool carried by the lower end thereof may then be withdrawn from the well.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred i'orm oi' the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be deined by the appended claims.

What I claim is: l

1. A packer and setting tool comprising a tubular packer support, an expansible packer there? on, a setting nipple connected to the packer, a. ring nut arranged to' be threaded to the packer support and to be detached therefrom, a. setting string, having a slidable and non-rotatable connecticn with the ring nut and a housing adapted to be supported on the packer support and to support the string and having a swiveling connection with the string. f

2. A packer and setting tool comprising a tubular packer support, an expansible paclger there on, compression means connected to the packer,

a setting string, means having a slidable and non-rotatable connection with the string and adapted to be screwed to and unscrewed from the packer support, and means adapted to be ksupported on the packer support and to support the string thereon said stn'ng supporting means having a non-threaded, swiveling connection with the string. 1

3. In combination a packer support, a setting string, a ring nut on the` string and adapted to be threaded to the support and unscrewed therefrom and having a slidable but non-rotatable connection with the string, spaced abutments on the string one of which is engageable with the ring nut, means adapted to rest on the packer support and onl which the other abutment is adapted to swivel to sustain the string whereby the string and support may be maintained against relative longitudinal movement when the ring nut is connected to said support. 4. In combination a packer support. a setting string, a ring nut on the string adapted to be screwed to and unscrewed from the support and having a slidable but non-rotatable connection with the string, spaced abutments on the string one oi.' which is engageable withy the ring nut,

means on the packer support and with which the support upon whi other abutment hasYV a swivelling, non-threaded connection to support the string whereby the string and support are maintained against relative longitudinal movement when the ring nut is connected to said support, said ring nut being 5 releasable from the support, upon rotation of the string, whereby the string may be detached from the support.

5. In combination a packer support, a setting string, a housing supporting the string and adapted to rest on the support, anannularconnecting member shaped to be received by the housing and having a, slidable and non-rotatable connection with the string and adapted to be screwed to and vunscrewed from the support.

' 6. In combinationv a packer support, a setting string, means adapted to support the string and to rest on the support, an annular connecting member having a slidable and non-rotatable connection with the string and adapted to be screwed 20 to and unscrewed from the support, a stop on the string, said stop and string supporting means being arranged toprevent relative longitudinal movement oi the string, and packer support when the connecting member is connected to the packer support, said connecting member being releasable from the packer support upon rotation of the string to permit the separation of the string from the packer support said string supporting means being arranged to prevent longitudinal movement of the string relative to the packer support during ,such rotation of the string.

7. A packer and setting tool comprising a. tubular packer support, an expansible packer thereon, a tubularl setting nipple above the packer. a set- 35 ting string releasably connected to the support, nipple engaging means on the string normally maintained retracted by the nipple but expansible uponthe detachment and elevation o1' the string, into position to engage "the upper end of 4,0 the nipple whereby upon subsequent descent of the string the nipple will bemoved downwardly and the packer expanded, a ring nut slldable and non-rotatable on the string and adapted to be threaded to thegsupport and forming the means for releasably connecting the string to the support and a pillar adaptedto rest on the packer ch the string is adapted to swivel.

8. In combination a tubular packer support, a setting string, a housing between the support and string adapted to sustain the weight o! the string on the support, means for connecting the string to the support, said connecting means being movable into released position within the housing by the rotation of the string relative to the support, an expansible packer on the support, compression means above the packer, means on the string engageable with the compression means, upon the release and elevation of the Y string, whereby the compression means may be moved downwardly to expand the packer upon the descent of the string.

9. In a packer and setting tool, a tubular packer support, a. setting string, a housing adapted, when 65 in one position, to rest on the support. said string having an enlarged head arranged to seat and swivel on the housing when the housing is supported on the packer support, whereby the string is sustained on and permitted to swivel relative to the packer support, a ring nut adapted to be screwed into and unscrewed from the packer support, said ring nut having a splined connection with the string, and being movable into released 7l position on the housing upon rotation of the string relative to the packer support, whereby the string may be disconnected from the packer support.

10. In apacker and setting tool, a tubular packer support, a setting string having an enlarged head, a housing arranged, When in one position, to rest on the packer support, and on which the head is adapted to rest to support the setting string, a. ring nut having a threaded connection with the packer support, and through which the string extends, an abutment on the string beneath said ring nut, said ring nut having a siidable, but non-rotatable connection, with the setting string, whereby upon rotation of the string, i

while supported on the housing, the ring nut may be unscrewed. from the packer support, and the string thusl detached from the packer support.

11. In a packer and setting tool, a tubular packer support, aksetting string having an enlarged head, a housing arranged, when in one position, to rest on the packer support, and on which the head is adapted to rest to support the setting string thus detached yfrom the packer support,

an expansible packer on the support, compression means above the packer, means on the string engageable with the compression means, upon the 15 release and elevation of the string whereby the compression means may be moved downwardly. to expand the packer upon the subsequent descent of the string.

'WALTER L. CHURCH. 20 

